Improved mining-sluice for saving suiiphttrets



To all-whom 'it may] concern:

do hereby declare the dtlnmlq tate stmt. ddilllif* ORLANDO JENNINGS, or NORTH sAN JUAN, CALIFORNIA Letters Patent No. 91,638, dated June 22, 1869.

IMPROVED MINING-SLUICE FOR SAVING- SULPHURETSV.

' The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Be it known that I, ORLANDO JENNINGS, of North San Juan, countyof Nevada, State of California, have invented an Improved Mining-sluice; and I following description and accompanying drawings are suiiicient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearlyappertains, to make and use my 'said invention orA improvement without further invention or experiment. My invention relates to certain improvements in mining-sluices, for concentrating the heavier portion of ores, as sulphurets, fine gold, quicksilver, and amal- `worthless portion pass O' at one side.

To more fully illustrate and explain my invention,

reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspeciiication, ot' which- Figure 1 is a top View.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section.

Figur-e3 is an end view. f Similar letters of reference in each of the figures Vindicate like parts.

' A and B .are two sections of a sluice. v

These sections are joined together at theirends, so that each succeeding one shall be lower than the one directly in front of it, the lower one, B, bing placed a little to one side, so as to leave `afspace for the lighter stuff to pass olf to the outside of the sluice.

. Thel bottoms oi' these sections are provided with any number of channels, b-b'v b, ont diagonally across the sluice. The' lower side of these channels is raised so as to form rifiles e e e, running parallel to them.

The section B is secured to the section A, so that the side d will be between the'two sides of A, leaving a space, a, through which the lighter portion of the ore passespfi' at the .end of each section.

A- channel, g, commencing at the lowei'- end of the `iii-st diagonal channel l), extends longitudinally with the section next to the 'side of the sluice into which each oif the diagonal channelsA empty, and increases in areaot cross-section in the ratio ofthe area of crosssection of eachv groove or rile that feeds it, to the end where it empties into an opening, i, between the two sections.

The number of these sections may be increased to any extent, so as to insure the thorough extraction of the heavy' particles. s Y

. The operation may be described as follows: l As apreliminary preparation of the ore beiore concentration, a proper sizing isindispensable, which can bedone in pointed boxes', orfby any .well-known method, after which, for each size, a separate set of sluices is required, with the proper grade and amount of water that experience shows to he necessary.v

The ore is then put on lthinly atv the head of the sluice, and evenl y distributed over three-quarters or more of the entire widthjon the opposite side, to the i longitudinal channel g, and clear water is introducedV at the opposite side, or over thechannel g. Y

,The water, sand, and sulphurets, start down the sluice, and iill the grooves land above the ritiles, a portion .being dellected to the lower side along the channels. `Itthusa continues to move until 'the sulphurets find their way byv their specific gravity to the lowest part `of the channels b b' b. I

The sand is carried Valong over the channels and riiles, while ,the sulphurets move down into the-'channel g, and down it until it falls through the opening fi, intoanotller sluice or box beneath. Y

That portion of sand that may be considered exhausted of its sulphurets, passes out of the sluice to waste'at a, which opening may be varied by a gate or other suitable device, so as to discharge more or less, as desired.

The portion-of ore which falls upon the second section will be separated in the sam'e manner as that on the iirst. X Y

Having thus described my invention,

What l claim, and dsire to secure by Letters Pat- 1. A sluice having the channels b b b", and parallel riles e e c,feither diagonal in one direction, or diverging from or converging to the centre, and leading into the longitudinal channel or channels g, on one or both sides,or in the centre-of the sluice, substantially asV and for the purpose described. g

2. Connecting the section of a sluice, B, so that the side d will be between the two sides of the sluice A, substantially as and for the `-purpose described.4

-In witness whereof, I'have hereunto set my hand and seal.

ORLANDO JENNINGS. [1.. s.]

Witnesses: x

WM. MENNER, J AMEs H. MOORE. 

